


No Expectation

by Dagron



Category: Brave (2012), Frozen (2013)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 06:51:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17381723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dagron/pseuds/Dagron
Summary: Merida's had a fight, with her mother, again. She goes out at night to clear her head, only to follow the wisps and find a woman dancing up on the higher slopes of the mountain. When she turns back, she finds she has no way home.She wanted a life with no expectations. Now she had no return.





	No Expectation

The wind was cold, chilled. There was a taste of ice in the air. The wool of her jumper was itchy, and she thought for a moment about how she should have grabbed her gloves, but she didn't really care. She rubbed at her eyes, stomped her feet. Her gaze didn't waver.  
  
It was beautiful.  
  
In a sky that dark, the stars appeared like a blanket made of sequins across it. The curves of the milky way carved dynamic thoroughfares into the heavens above her. Here and there, every so often, would be a dash or burst of movement: a comet or meteor shower. The night was so still and quiet, she could hear the faintest flutter of bat wings, the hoot of an owl in the distance as though she was right next to them. It was breath taking.  
  
Of course Angus, her horse, was not so enthralled. She rolled her eyes at his stomping and snort.  
  
"Cheer up ya big baby," she chided him. In the dark, she could only see him by the faint white shape of his muzzle and lower legs. His otherwise black coat was the perfect camouflage. Thankfully, he was also a welcome form of heat. She took a half step closer to his flank and stroked his back, relishing the warmth. "Ah mean look at that moon!"  
  
And there it was, small, bright and white. Like a pearl, gently rising over the peaks. She grinned. This was exactly what she needed. The perfect escape from the weight of expectations and responsibility. Her mother probably thought her well asleep by now, if she wasn't still mouthing off to her father about how stubborn she was. It wasn't her fault that her father's injury meant that she had to grow up fast to help her mother support her wee brothers. It's not her fault that when her mother found herself "up the duff again" as her father's friends so nicely put it, that it turned out to be three and not just one sibling that popped out. It certainly wasn't her fault that she found the very idea of leaving school to work fulltime for the Dingwalls alongside their dopey son repulsive. She was still sixteen for heaven's sake, even if for just a month to go yet. She wanted to go to college, study sports. She wished they could afford to sign her up to archery competitions, send her abroad... but no, all their money was to go to making sure the triplets had enough clothes to ruin, enough cakes to steal, a nanny to look after them when Dad's stump ached, and Mum's migraines showed up. The wee devils...  
  
She sighed, her moment of peace ruined. The moon rose higher, beautiful and pure. She slumped against Angus. If only there was some way she could change her mother. For all their mischief, she loved the wee boys, and wouldn't change them for the world. She still recalls the day her father lost his leg quite vividly. Sometimes she has nightmares, dreams in which she was the one at fault for that... But her mother... No, Merida decided, she would not work for the Dingwalls. She'd find some way to make money off her passion. There just had to be a way to make her mother see!  
  
Noticing that she wasn't away to move anytime soon, Angus dropped to his knees and laid down his head in a sulk. Losing her balance, Merida fell into a heap beside him, her unruly hair covering her face. She muffled some oath, pushing the curls back, and looked back out at the landscape, her train of thought broken.  
  
The mist was beginning to rise. She sighed. They'd better head home before the visibility dropped sharply. Already she could see light distorting around them, refracting in the vapours. Or was it?  
  
Faint singing could be heard. It was a voice unlike any she'd ever heard before. She took a step forward and felt the grass beneath her feet crunch. Ice, already? She held her breath.  
  
Wisps. Will-o'-the-wisps, they were hovering right there, in front of her. The singing grew louder for a beat... And then quieter, just as the wisps seemed to float a step away. Merida's heart hammered in her ears. She remembered the tales her mum used to tell her, long before the boys had been born. The tales of magic and adventure had always enchanted her, especially ones where the hero would follow a path of magic lights to find the means to change their fortunes.  
  
Stilling the fear still lingering at the back of her mind, she gripped Angus's reins. Her horse tugged back, now standing and clearly skittish. She reached to pat his neck.  
  
"Come oan Angus," Merida hissed. It was clear that her stead was not impressed with the direction she was leading him in. "Can't you hear it?"  
  
His ears flicked back and forth, clearly hearing the song as well. The words sounded strange to Merida. She couldn't quite make them out. After the largest wisp in front of them had moved several times, leading them up the mountain, further and further away from home, she finally managed to convince Angus that their path was set. She climbed atop her horse and found that the wisp started moving accordingly. Magic was in the air. Merida was sure of it. She could feel it tingling across her skin, fizzing in her hair. Macintosh could stuff it with all of his talk dissing fantasy and folklore.  
  
The singing was clearer now, just as the path was harder to see. The mist was now a proper pea soup fog. Angus's tread became less sure, pebbles rattling underfoot. Merida could feel flakes falling in the air, ice stinging at her cheeks. Still she wouldn't turn back, so enchanted by the song she was.  
  
The words were undeniably foreign, that much was clear. But the emotion? Oh, the emotion in the voice was one she held onto dearly. The melody, the inflections, maybe it was just her projecting, but it all sounded like the singer felt the same yearning as she did: to be free, to be who they wanted to be.  
  
The wind rose as they struggled through a rocky pass. It was snowing now, heavily too. Merida was regretting not taking a scarf, a coat. Too late to turn back now.  
  
It was hard to see the wisp now. Merida thought she could vaguely see it ahead, between two standing stones. Unfortunately, Angus was refusing to budge any further.  
"Argh," it was too cold to even tell him off. She hopped off, shoving her hands under her armpits for warmth. She muttered under her breath as she trod forwards, snow finding its way into the top of her shoes. "Stupid superstitious horse."  
  
It was odd, in truth. Normally if the weather was going to get this bad this quick, there'd be warnings all over the news. She half considered checking her mobile phone, before remembering that she never got any signal this far up the mountain, let alone data. The little niggling voice in the back of her head was back again, telling her to run, to turn tail. She was a Dunbroch though. Merida clenched her jaw. There was no way to go but forward.  
  
The wisp ahead of her had grown. She could tell. If the weather wasn't playing tricks with her vision, she could swear it was the same size as her. It was no longer floating idly, wispy tendrils goading her forward. It was twirling, dancing on the spot. It sounded like the song was coming from it. A strong gust blew her back, just as she thought she'd glimpsed the detail of a face.  
  
There was that familiar refrain again. She could just about make out the syllables. Though their meaning remained opaque, she found herself singing along in her head, as she reached out to grip onto the nearest standing stone. To her surprise it didn't feel rough. There wasn’t any snow sticking to it. It felt...  
  
"Smooth as ice..." She gasped, finally seeing the standing stone for what it was: a pillar of ice, as deep blue as the twilight sky. She looked around and saw several more. Then she saw the girl.  
  
Merida had thought the moon beautiful.  
  
In the middle of the circle of pillars, a young woman was dancing. Her voice sang her song, the very same that had lured Merida here. For a moment, Merida feared that the singer's arms were bare, until a glimmer of moonlight pierced through the blizzard and showed the arms to be covered in a thin layer of glittering material. The singer twirled, stepped, hopped. The song had gone on a while now. Merida was impressed.  
  
She stepped into the circle. There was less snow, less wind here. Merida felt like she could finally breath.  
  
The singer never noticed her, had her back to her until... without even thinking, Merida found herself echoing the words of the singer's song. It took the singer a moment to notice, her words grew hesitant as she turned around. The song died as the singing woman set her eyes upon Merida.  
  
Merida felt her heart drop as silence fell. She took one glance at the woman's eyes and had to look away. The ice in them reminded her... reminded her of how she'd argued with her mother, just hours prior. It reminded her of how foolish and small she felt in the whole chain of events that had led her here. It reminded her of just how little power she had.  
  
And then she noticed that the singer was fleeing.  
  
Merida's head snapped up. "Wait!" she shouted. "Dinnae leave! Please!"  
  
"Who... Who are you?" The woman stopped at one of the pillars, one hand holding onto it as though it was grounding her. Her other hand she held in a fist against her breast, white hair catching the moonlight falling in a braid beside it. It was hard to fully make out the woman's features. The twilight that remained after the wisp left, the moonlight that reappeared once the snow dissipated, it only just managed to show the light tones of her skin, the whiteness of her hair, the sharpness of her jaw. The eyes were dark now, hidden behind long lashes. Strong shadows shifted over her cheekbones as she shifted. Her voice went to a low whisper, nearly threatening. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Merida stayed still, raising her hands in peaceful surrender. She half felt like laughing. What are you doing here, the woman asked? She could ask the same thing! Still, she'd seen the stance before, the wariness. If this woman was anything like her mum, a sarcastic reply like that might just antagonize her further.  
  
"Hah. I could ask ye the same!"  
  
Still, that didn't stop the words from making their way out. Sometimes Merida really wished she could just hold her tongue. Seeing the stranger's eyes widen at her snappy retort, she threw her head back and groaned. "I mean... The name's Merida. Hi."  
  
Stunned silence fell between them. Merida awkwardly shuffled her feet, glad that she had at least had the sense to swap her usual plimsoles for boots. Maybe she should just turn back, go home.  
  
"Ha... Hahaha." Quiet chuckles came from the woman, stunning Merida into looking her way again. She'd seemed so fairy-like at first, and then so cold and distant... Now?  
  
Merida found that she was rushing forward as the other woman fell to her knees, her hands over her face.  
  
"Are... Are ye alright?" Merida asked, perplexed by the reaction. She was kneeling on one knee at her side, snow crunching into her jeans. Her hand hovered a foot away from the woman's shoulder.  
  
Though Merida wasn't sure the term woman applied anymore. She looked like a girl, broken down, shattered. The laughter was now half sobbing.  
  
"I'm..." A deep breath. A laugh or sob, Merida couldn't tell. A sigh. "I'm... I'll be alright. Thank you."  
  
She was doing that thing. Merida had noticed her mother doing it many a time, if company turned up unannounced. It would happen when the triplets had been particularly difficult, when it was clear her migraine was giving her trouble, or she and Merida had just had a row. It was the putting on a face for people who have no business knowing how stressed out you are thing. Merida didn't like it.  
  
"My name is Elsa." The woman replied, finally pulling her hands away from her face, pushing her shoulder's back and looking her in the eye.  
  
"Rough day, huh." Merida said bluntly.  
  
Elsa rolled her eyes, something Merida appreciated. Elinor would have said something tart.  
  
"Now, if you don't mind, I have places to, uhm, be...." The white-haired woman stood, crossing her arms and turning away. She was obviously waiting for Merida to leave first.  
  
"Ah'll come with you." Merida said, half smirking. This woman intrigued her, and it certainly sounded more fun than what was waiting for her back home. "I'll go get my horse. It's not safe weather to be walking the highlands alone... Especially without a coat."  
  
The woman arched a brow at her.  
"The highlands?" Elsa said.  
  
Merida didn't pay the question much mind, heading to the point in the circle where she'd entered, calling for Angus.  
"Anguus! Come on lad. Where are you?" She walked around a few of the pillars, frowning when she couldn't see any sign of the Clydesdale. There weren't even any hoofmarks in the snow. This was concerning. She whistled. "Oi, stop hiding!"  
  
"Is everything alright?" Elsa asked from a distance. Merida frowned.  
  
She looked out to the valley below. She stared.  
  
This... This didn't make sense. Sure, she knew snow could dramatically alter the appearance of a landscape, but... Where was the house? Where had the river gone? How on earth did that hill opposite them appear out of nowhere?  
  
A small noise behind her to jump with a startled yipping sound. Elsa was right behind her, having just cleared her throat.  
  
"Where are we?" Merida asked, her voice coming out uncharacteristically quiet.  
  
"Why up the North Mountain, of co-... Oh." Elsa looked out at the plunging view below them, all wintry forest and a round hill in the distance. "That... That's not the fjord."  
  
"Right, okay." Merida tensed, her brain going into overdrive. Maybe she should have remembered what happened to those heroes following wisps in the stories before now. She took stock of what was at hand, of the lay of the land. She shivered and rubbed her numb hands. She noticed Elsa didn't seem to be shivering or even huddling against the cold at all. Probably a bad sign. "What was the place you were headed to?"  
  
Elsa seemed astonishingly calm even though she clearly wasn't where she'd thought she was. She hesitated. Looked forlornly down at the forest below.  
"I... Away. Just away from where I was." She smiled, though Merida could tell she was sad. "This'll do just as well."  
  
"Well, maybe for you," Merida said, trying not to think how much like her mother she sounded then. "Myself, I'd rather not sleep under the stars."  
  
"What do you suggest we do, then?" Elsa said, crossing her arms. Idly Merida wondered how she'd managed to get so far up the steep slopes of what had until recently been the hill of kings in a full-length skirt. Dress? Had Merida done that, the hems would have been ruined.  
  
"There," Merida pointed, having turned and spotted a promising looking feature. "A path. That must lead to a house. We can seek shelter there."  
  
Elsa didn't seem enthused at the thought. "You've got sharp eyes."  
  
"Thanks, now come on!" Merida grabbed onto Elsa's sleeve and pulled her along down the slope. The fabric was gossamer thin and freezing cold to the touch. Elsa quickly pulled it free of her grasp, but Merida's concern doubled. Now that they were out of the circle of ice pillars, the wind was rising, and she could taste fresh snow forming in the air. "The quicker we get down there, the better."  
  
-  
  
By the time the two reached the path into the woods that Merida had spotted, her teeth were chattering. Elsa still seemed unaffected by the weather, though Merida could swear she looked like she was sleep-walking at times. Conversation had been sparse. The slope had been tricky, all slate and rubble where the layer of snow vanished. It had felt good to reach tough hard ground where coarse wild weeds took hold. They're only exchange had Merida hoping she was having a strange dream. She'd asked what language the song Elsa had been singing was in. With a puzzled look, the woman had replied that it was the same language they were speaking now. Merida had frowned.  
"En-English?"  
"Norsk, silly. Though I admit your accent does sound English."  
  
Merida had bit her tongue in order to keep quiet. She wasn't sure if she was more offended that she sounded English or annoyed that the woman thought they were speaking something else. Certainly, she was troubled.  
  
Up close the woods were a lot more gnarly than Merida was used to. Elsa seemed to be scowling at the trees too. This wasn't home. Had Angus and Merida ridden in the blinding blizzard longer than Merida had thought? Had she fallen off and hit her head? But the shivers running up and down her spine felt real enough...  
  
They moved on along the path until they lost sight of where they came in. Though all the trees were devoid of leaves, the branches tangled thick and thin above them, only occasionally letting in the light of a half moon. Merida tried not to think too hard on that.  
  
A low growl was heard coming from the shadows. Elsa drew the fabric of her dress tighter around her. Merida picked up a hefty looking stick.  
  
By the time they found what looked to be an old stone shed, Merida wasn't sure she could have swung the stick if she wanted to. She was, however, delighted to see that the shed had a small chimney from which some smoke rose. They had a fire!  
  
"C-Come on!" Merida waved Elsa over, seeing her stop at the edge of the clearing. She only seemed to move at the noise of some bird cawing. Merida knocked on the door.  
  
The door swung open instantly. No face appeared. Dubious, Merida poked her head around the door frame. The interior looked a lot cosier than the outside implied. Shelves and shelves of wooden ornaments filled the room, basking gently in the warm glow of a fire. Just the feeling of warm air on her face convinced Merida. She grabbed Elsa's arm again and pulled her in, closing the door behind them.  
  
"Hello?" she said, hoping that despite the fire no one was home. She didn't like the idea that they might be told to get out.  
  
"Oh, hello, hello! Come on in!" A voice greeted them. Merida spun in surprise. The owner was right to her left, a small round shape in a pile of similar shapes. Looking closer now, Merida could see that it was an old woman sat at a carving table, tools in hand. An impressive looking small sculpture of a bear was taking form. The old woman peeled off the thick glasses on her nose and stood. "Greetings! I'm sorry, you caught me in my midnight carving spree. I'm not used to getting customers after sundown. What can I get you?"  
  
"Customers?" Elsa asked, puzzled, echoing Merida's thoughts.  
  
"Yes, this is my shop. Feel free to look around. There's hot cocoa by the fire if you need to warm up."  
  
"That so- That sounds perfect, tha- tha- cheers!"  
Merida didn't need to be told twice. She shoved Elsa towards the armchair nearest the fire and poured them both a hot drink. She revelled in the warmth while cursing the frantic itching feeling in her limbs. She'd been lucky to avoid frostbite. Elsa just stared at the drink in her hand.  
  
Now that they were sat in the light, Merida could make out more of Elsa's features. She had a delicate nose long pale fingers and her dress had a cape sewn into it made of the same lace-like material as her sleeves. She sat in her chair straight with her legs at an angle, like those posh ladies in paintings who would ride side saddle. Merida closed her eyes and sighed. Plunging into the warmth of the fur coverings of her armchair, she let her thoughts go back to home, her bed, her brothers probably sneaking out of their room for a midnight snack.  
  
"I'll come and share some of that with you," the old woman said. "About time I gave these eyes a break. Candle light work is hard on them at this age, you know."  
  
"Is it?" Elsa said, clearly not wanting to engage in conversation, but too polite not to reply. Merida groaned. She heard the seat next to hers creak as the old woman sat down, wafts of cocoa coming from her.  
  
"Oh yes, indeed." A loud slurp, Merida forced her eyes open. Drowsiness was threatening, but she didn't trust this woman to let her sleep peacefully.  
  
"Now," the old woman said. "I can't help but notice you aren't my usual clientele. Where are you from?"  
  
"Arendelle," Elsa said quietly as Merida finished the words "the village of Dunbroch." Merida frowned. She'd never heard of Arendelle.  
  
"Oh, quite faraway places indeed!" The old woman said with delight. Merida watched as her hooked nose danced between the two of them. "I'm guessing you have no idea where you are then."  
  
This got both Merida and Elsa's attention. Merida sat up sharply, nearly spilling her cocoa.  
"Where are we?" Elsa asked.  
  
"Oh dear, oh my, it has been a while," the old woman muttered. "How to say? You are in a magical place."  
  
Oh, good, Merida thought. The old hag was barmy. Elsa, however, seemed to take her seriously.  
"Is this the Troll valley?"  
  
"Oh, you know of that place?" The old woman smiled, holding her mug with both hands. "It is similar, but no, that is not where we are. This is the lost kingdom."  
  
Okay, she must, definitely be dreaming.  
"Next thing you're going to tell us you're a witch," Merida said. She'd said it as a joke. She was surprised when the woman looked startled.  
  
"Oh dear, what gave me away?"  
  
"You are?" Elsa said, stunned, nearly choked on her cocoa.  
  
"A retired witch," the woman said. She thrust her arms out, waving them at the legion of wooden carvings around them. "I go by the Crafty Carver now! I got too many dissatisfied customers as a witch."  
  
"You can say that again," cawed what Merida had been sure was a stuffed crow.  
  
"Oh shut up, you." The crafty carver shooed the bird. It hopped off its stand and went to land on her work table. A long thin wooden handle started moving after it kicked some shavings to the floor.  
  
"You really are a witch," Merida said, as she saw the broom sweeping them up into a small pile.  
  
"Carver!" The old hag corrected quickly.  
  
"Can you get us home? Teleport us there or something?"  
  
The old woman stood, clearly miffed. She spoke, her words harsh. "That is beyond my remit, even if I wasn't retired." She eyed Elsa. "Besides, you got yourselves here, you might as well get yourselves back."  
  
Elsa seemed to shrink back in her chair. A cold breeze blew through the room.  
  
"Now if you don't mind, I'm away to retire to bed. Crow! Don't let them leave with anything without paying. Goodnight."  
  
And with that, she hobbled through a door into a small side room and slammed it shut.  
  
"I was just asking!" Merida sighed. "And it's not like I asked the wisps to lead me here!"  
  
Elsa shifted in her chair as well, clearly uncomfortable.  
  
"Did you follow a trail of wisps too?" Merida asked.  
  
"I..." Elsa put her mug down. Merida hadn't noticed its frosted coating before. She wondered how the Crafty Carver achieved that. Elsa crossed her hands on her lap. "I did not."  
  
Then, Merida wondered, how on earth did we both get here?  
-

**Author's Note:**

> I don't need another work in progress, I don't need another work in progress, I don't... Oh gosh darn it.
> 
> I look forward to playing with modern world Merida thrown into a world of magic, yes I do.


End file.
